Viaticum cabinet-altar.



WITNESSES O. GAY.

VIATIOUM CABINET ALTAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.28, 1910.

ATTORNEYS C. GAY.

'VIATIGUM CABINET ALTAR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 1910.

1 ,O 86,604, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

I/VVE/VTOH Charles Gay ATTORNEYS G. GAY.

VIATIGUM CABINET ALTAR.

APPLICATION FILED 1120.28, 1910 1,036,604,, Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

3 SHEETS SHEET 3.

WITNESSES INVE/VTUI? ATTORNEYS CHARLES GAYQ Ol' NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

vra'rzooia CABINET-ALTAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 1912.

Application filed December 28, 1910. Serial No. 599,670.

T 0 all whom it may concern: v

Be it known that I, CHARLES GAY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New Haven, in the county of' New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and Improved Viaticum Cabinet- Altar, of which the following is a full, cleaf'yand exact description. This invention relates to .a portable viati-r cum cabinet altar designed for the administration of the last rites of the church holy communion and extreme unction. also be used for the administration of private baptism and as a private portable altar for general devotion.

An object of this invention is to provide a viaticum altar, which,when opened, will be almost entirely ready-for use in emer gency at the hour of approaching death, with all the various articles suitable for the priests use in administering the last rites of the church, in their proper place, whereby confusion incident to the assembling of the various articles required, is avoided.

A further object of this invention is to provide a cabinet altar, in which, when opened, everything can be quickly and readilyremoved, and in which, when closed, everything is held intact, no matter in what position the cabinet may be placed, whether in the process of shipping or otherwise.

These and further objects, together with the construction and combination of parts, will be more fully described hereinafter and par ticularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure 1 is a perspective view showingmy device open ready for use with one of the plates tilted up out of position, concealing one of the retaining hooks from view and showing its form to better advantage; Fig. 2 is a transverse section, with parts broken away to show the underlying structure; Fig. 3 is a transverse section, with parts broken away to show the underlying structure; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary view in elevation, showing one means for holding the removable crucifix in position; Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical transverse section through the holywater font, showing its detachable connection to the body of the box; Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing an- It may other view of the detachable connection of the holy-water font; Fig. 7 'is a view in elevation, partly in section, showing a modithe cabinet. 1

Referring more particularly to the separate parts of this invention as embodied. in the form'shown in the drawings, 1 indicates the cabinet container, which may be of. any suitable form, and is shown in the form of a box having a body portion 2 and a cover 3 hinged to the body portion in any suitable manner. The front of the box, indicated at 4, is hinged so as to fall downwardly and outwardly, leaving the contents exposed to' view, and permitting better -access to the interior of the box. The walls of the box and cover may be lined with a suitable covering, preferably of purple, the color of the priests stole when administering the last rites.- The floor of the cabinet or box is' preferably covered with acloth, indicated at 5, which is also purple. The-cover 3 is preferably held in an erect vertical position, so that it will not fall either backward or forward when opened, without positive manipulation, by a fastening device 6, comprising inthis instance a strip of metal having a slot therein, which engages a pin 7, as more clearly illustrated in Fig. 9. A notch is provided in the side of the slot, so as to engage the pin 7 when the cover is open, and

prevents movement of the cover in either directlon. The reason for mainta ning the cover in a perfectly ere-ct position is so that a crucifix 8, which is attached to the inside tical when the deviceis in use as an altar. The inside ofthe cover is preferably provided with a background of folded purplev clot-h 9, which is disposed in back of the crucifix andofisets the same. 8 is preferably detachable, so that it can be handed to the sick person after the sacrament of extreme unction has been administered, as is usual in such cases.

of the cover, may be held substantially ver- The crucifix suitable means for detachably contop of the cross so as to hold it 1n positivev engagement wit the hooks 10, thereis provi ed'a spring latch '11, which is hinged to the cover as at 12, and normally exerts a downwar pressure on the crucifix when in engagement with the-top of the cross thereof. In the form shown in Figs. 7 and 8, a

pin 13 is provided in the bottom side of the cover, when in its erect position, which enga es a reinforced socket 14 in the bottom en of the shaftof the crucifix. There is also provided a similar socket in the upper end of the shaft of the crucifix, which is engaged by a similar )in 15 connected in a loop 16 of a bow-sprmg 17, the latter being ever, also be used to'hold the rosary and a' adapted to yield so as to permit the ready removal or erection of the crucifix.

Disposed symmetrically'on o posite sides of the crucifix and secured to the inside 01 the cover 3 in any suitable manner, there are provided pockets 18 and 19, which form suitable receptacles for napkins 20, one of which may be used to cover the breast of the communicant, and the other may be used by the priest. These pockets may, if desired, howprayer-book.

Disposed symmetrically in the front-of the body of the cabinet, on opposite sides thereof, there are provided candle-holders 21, which are adapted to support in erect position blessed candles 22, and which may be detachably connected to the body in any suitable manner, as for example that indicated in Fig. 10. Here it will be seen that the holder consists of a body portion'having a screw cast thereon, which is adapted to be screwed into the material of the body por-- tion, and a saucer or disk 23, which has'an -opening through which the screw may extend, and which is disposed between the body portion of the candle holder and the body portion of the cablnet, so as to give the required finish. The candles 22, when in their lposition inthe holders 21, would project too igh to permit the closure of the cabinet.

There is therefore provided a compartmentv 24, in which the candles .may be placed, either before or after they have been placed in the holder 21, and are held in-positlon by an inverted box 25, having afalse bottom,

0 as moreclearly shown in Fig. 3. The box 25 for facility in use omits cover, and the false bottom, being removable, allows room for extra candles. The box.25 can be readily removed from the compartment 24 by means of a handle 26, which may-be of anysuitable form, but is shown as being constructed of a loop of flexible tape. Disposed referably in the -o posite rear corner 0 the body portion 0 the cabinet, there is provided 'a compartment 27, which is symmetrL cally located with respect to the compartment 24 and the center of the cabinet. Thiscompartment 27 is adapted to contain a box or receptacle 28 which, as will be seen by reference to Fig. 2, is adapted to contain .cotton 29, which is used after anointing the sick person with oil. This box ispreferably formed coverless, so as. to avoid confusion in using the cotton therein, inasmuch as it canbe readily inverted in the compartment 27. The compartment 27, besides containmg the cotton-container, also provides space for a holy-water bottle 30, in which the holy water used in the viaticum, can be kept. The compartments 24 and 27 are spaced partments 24 and 27, when the cabinet is i closed, even when the latter is inverted, by means of a holy-water font 32, which is disposed above the ablution cup. It is to be notedthat the position of the font is such that it will be disposed at the foot of the -crucifix when the cover is raised. "While the font may be supported in any suitable manner, it is preferable that it be detachably connected, and onemeans of such connection is illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. Here, there is shown a wedge-key 33, secured in any suitable manner to the back of the body portion of the cabinet and adapted: to engage in a corresponding groove or slot 34 in the back of the holy-water font. For the urpose of sprinkling the holy water around the sick person, there is provided a brush 35, which may be secured in any suitable manner to the box '25, as by means of rubber bands 36.

Disposed on the bottom of the body portion of the cabinet, there are provided a plurality of plates 37 and 38, preferably two in number, symmetrically disposed with respect to the center line of the cabinet. One

of these plates may be used to hold the ablu-.

suitable method of securing the plates may.

be used. In this case, I have shown a hook 39 for each of the plates, under which-the rims of the plates may be inserted. The front walls of the compartments 24 and 27 are rabbeted or provided with a groove, in which the rims of the plates may extend, so as to engage the overhang thus formed in the front walls of the compartments, preventing the plates from slipping out, even when the cabinet is inverted. When the cabi net is closed, the plates are further secured by an overhang on the front 4 on the body portion of the cabinet, which is formed by a groove 4-0 in the rear side of the front wall. These platesmay be provided with any suitable inscription, such as the initials I. H. S., showing that they are designed for sacramental purposes. Interposed between the plates 37 and 38, there may be provided a spoon 41, which may be provided with a suitable design, such as a cross, to show that it is used for sacramental pur poses, and which may be detachably secured in the cabinet in any suitable manner, as by means of a hook 42.

When the cabinet is closed, it is adaptedto be held in its closed position by means of a pivot latch 43, secured to the cover and engaging a hook 44 secured to the movable front of the body portion of the cabinet.

In the use of the device, the cabinet is carried to the bedside ,of the sick person and preferably, if time and opportunity affords, is located ona small table over which a white linen cloth has been spread, and after opening the cabinet everything is in position ready for administering the last rites of the church, namely the sacraments of holy communion and extreme unction, with the exception of the host and the oil, which the priest provides, and the candles, which are in the compartment 24. The candles can be readily placed in the holders 21, so that the device will form a complete altar, re-

. sembling in every respect a stationary altar readily inverted, so thatthe cotton therein will be readily accessible for the use of the priest after anointing the sick person. After the'altar has been used in the administration of the sacraments designed for, or for general devotions, the device can be readily closed up in a compact form,"and

taken away, without any unnecessary confusion or rattling. Even if the cabinet should be inverted, the parts, by reason of their relative position and means of attachment, will be prevented from falling out of position.

The device, by its compactness, size and convenience, is especially suited as an altar for persons who may be traveling or who may have no fixed place of abode, or who may be for the time-being living in the home of another, as it furnishes the means of a convenient and strictly private altar for the purposes of the viaticum, and for private baptism, as also for daily devotions. While I have shown two embodiments of my invention, I do not wish to be limited to the specific details thereof, but desire to be protected in various changes, alterations and modifications which may come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, 1 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination with ,a cabinet, comprising a body portion and a cover hinged to said body portion, of a crucifix secured to said cover in such a position as to assume an erect posture when said cover is opened to its substantially vertical position, a holy-. water font secured to said body portion and disposed at the foot of said crucifix when said crucifix is in its erect position, and a plurality of articles in said body portion adapted to be used in the administration of the last rites of the church, said body portion having a movable front, so as to afford an open-altar effect.

2. The combination with a cabinet, comprising a body portion and a cover for said body portion, of a movable front for said body portion with a groove therein forming an overhanging portion, plates over which the said overhanging portion is, adapted to extend, and means for engaging and retaining the plates, opposite the movable front of the cabinet.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWARD W. LYNCH, MARIE E. PLUNKETT. 

